Tahm Kench: Discord on the Rift
by KawaiiPyroo
Summary: The Gambler was just the first of many meals he would seek out in this new, "peaceful", world. Who were these Summoners to deny him his appetite? A Tahm Kench story, my first attempt at one. Will contain popular pairings and interactions with other champions.
1. Chapter 1 - The Swamp-thing's Song

Tahm Kench: Discord on the Rift

 _AN: Hey everyone, I'm KawaiiPyro here with my first story for a champion I see as under-represented in the Fanfiction world, Tahm Kench! This is my first try at a league fanfiction, so any reaction, positivie or constructive feedback, is appreciated. Thanks, and enjoy!_

Chapter 1: The Swamp-thing's Song

"" _Boy, the world's one river and I'm its king." "Ain't no place I ain't been. Ain't no place I can't go again.""_

The murky, thick water of the swamp-town's central canal glimmered half-heartedly in the moon's glow, the patches of light blocked by the heavy, damp leaves that swayed in the warm summer breeze. These winds travelled with the haste of the river itself, crawling and whistling through the trees in a way that almost would sound like music to a being desperate, or foolish, enough to be out at this time of the night.

The solitary source of light besides the moon's glow was a gently smouldering ruin of what would, at one point, have been a sturdy manor-house, overlooking the murky green water. The water-stained timbers told of a construct built to last, but all was silent in the swamp besides a gentle tune, which seemed to originate from the pontoon overlooking the water.

The glinting of a number of various trinkets and knick-knacks revealed the form of a strange, catfish-like humanoid, who was seated on the pontoon with his tongue outstretched, strumming away a tune on his oversized tongue. The alluring cacophony ended with a harsh note, and the beast smiled it's jagged, oversized smile as the sound whispered away on the wind.

" _So cry if you want boy, 'cause you had a chance to walk away. Instead you're the fool, the fool who let me in."_

The creature smirked to itself, looking down at its generous gut, showing his satiation with his last meal. What had been more satisfying then uttering those words to the foolish boy who had "let him in", the creature wasn't sure of. The devouring of his one true love, or the "accidental" burning down of his house before he finished the boy off. It cackled to itself, the noise breaking the silence of the river like a glass shattering. A few stray swamp-birds took flight, cawing in protest at the loud noise.

The creature looked down at the various rings and an especially charming hat he had procured from the boy's cadaver…. Or, what was left of it. He never was one for eating leather or metal trinkets. At besides, he thought as he slid a large golden ring onto his index finger, what would be the purpose of wasting such fine creations?

A single, solitary scrap of parchment caught the creature's eye. What was that doing polluting his kingdom? He darted his tongue out, stretching it a good ten feet to pluck up the paper and deposit it in his hand. He unfurled it while gently working a scrap of satin from his yellowed teeth. His pus-yellow eyes winded as he read, and his previously nutral expression grew into one of malice, and planning. With a sigh, he heaved himself to his stubby feet, looking around for the castoff leather jacket, undershirt and bracers of the boy. Why let such fine garments go to waste when he had such plans to put into action? With a plan in his mind and his song in his heart, the creature did a strangely nimble spin and plummeted into the water of the river, leaving nothing but a light ripple and a scrap of paper falling to the floor of the pontoon in its wake. The sodden paper revealed its inked message in the light of the moon.

"Summoners from Noxus and Demacia will meet in the Institute of War to hold a grand stand battle in the League of Legends in two weeks, to decide the fate of lands currently in conflict between Noxus and Demacia. Emotions will run high as another clash between these two great rivals! Tensions will run between every city-state, could this start a new war or will the Institute's uneasy peace be kept?"

The scrap of newspaper read, before fluttering away on the now silent breeze, leaving only the ruins of the Gambler Tahm Kench's former life.


	2. Chapter 2 - Preludes and Planning

Chapter 2: Preludes and Planning

The pale, mid-morning sun rose above the light-blue horizon of Runeterra, banishing the shadows of the night and lightly touching the faces and necks of those out in the light, searing their sleep-touched eyes as they went around their business.

The cold of the night in this barren stretch of land between the wastelands of Noxus and the lush farmlands of Demacia was soon but a memory , the dead man's land where the Institute lay gradually warming up under the Sun's encouraging touch. The Institute itself lay at the top of a large hill, with a winding, bustling town winding its way around the hill and into the land beyond. This epicentre of conflict across Runterra attracted many a traveller and merchant from every corner of the globe, reflected in the many styles of housing and decoration.

One such early bird was a young woman dressed in brown and blue military fatigues touched with various long, strange blue and gold feathers was seated on one of the roofs, watching for something other than the stinging spotlight in the vast ocean of blue. A solitary caw broke the sky, and a black shape grew into focus as it flew towards the hill. The woman stood to meet it halfway, holding her protected forearm out for the heavy Demacian Eagle to land, blinking it's golden eyes in the glare.

"Valor, you're late on this one!" The girl chastised with a tinge of mirth, taking a letter from the bird's leg-mounted container and tossing him a scrap of meat from her bag. The bird shook it's head as it ate, one eye on her as she scanned the note, lips tracing the words, before she stood and discarded the encrypted series of dots and lines.

"You ready for messenger duty, Val?" She asked, with a bored-sounding tone. The bird shook it's head again and took flight with a caw, flying towards the peak of the hill as if challenging for a race. With a smirk, the ranger followed, sliding across rooftops and vaulting gaps in the houses with practised ease, not a single shingle or decoration shifting as she ran.

Jarven Lightshield the Fourth sat upon the dock, his blue eyes inspecting the clear blue water with a thoughtful aura around him, his lance jammed into the wood behind him. He was enjoying the silence and sereness of the alleyway and the water, a break from the regal parading that was his duty here at the institute.

"Hmph...Duty... it's mere showboating, attempting to inflate the morale of the soldiers when they're not the ones doing the fighting... I should be practising, improving myself for the match! "He thought to himself, his fist forming on the wood as anger swirled within him. This upcoming match was a heavy weight on his heart, and not even the company of his personal bodyguard could lift his burden.

He was broken from his reverie by a clattering and sliding noise, and a thin bundle of armour and feathers would fall to the alley floor with a light thump, the scout springing up and standing in a salute.

"Prince Lightshield." The scout declared with a bowed head, her eagle watching from above on the rooftops.

"Quinn, you know formalities are not needed between us. I think I've had enough of that for today.." He said with a small sigh, forcing his way to his feet, gripping onto his lance.

"Hmph…" the scout sighed, breathing through her nose, before nodding. "Yessir. The message from Crowngaurd arrived just now."

The mention of his childhood friend brought the prince back to reality, he raised his eyes to her. "..Speak."

"He reports the regiment he's been tasked to lead is a day's march from the institute, and he passes his complaint at the fact a mage could've teleported the men instead of the three-day march in the barrens." Quinn trilled off, before standing at rest, hands clasped behind her back.

A small grin broke Jarven's half-scowl as he thought of his friend saying the words, and knowing he would share the prince's frustration at the efforts they were forced through by their parents and the High Court. He nodded, before looking back to the street. "That sounds like him. We'd better get going, We're meant for another round of marching and a speech for the troops." He said with a small sigh, striding over to her, his regal stride re-invigorated.

"Is this all necessary?" Quinn's complaint bursts from her lips, and she bows her head slightly before continuing. "We're turning this neutral city into 'a who can wave the biggest banner' competition, and all for some stretch of unclaimed land?" She asked incredulously.

Jarven laughed at her barely-censored metaphor and shook his head, putting a hand down on her shoulder and looking at her. "Trust me, no-one is happy about all of this. But we're meant to put on a show, as to not appear weak to Noxus and the other city-states. Get out there and rally the men." He said, his last words with an added authoritarian tone.

She sighed before nodding, walking past him and into the light of the open street, following the gold and blue banners of the Demacian parade as it marched the high street. Jarven was about to follow when his ear perked up at a tune whispered on the wind. A soulful melody, strummed from some undoubtedly fine instrument, he felt a sudden urge in his chest to find the source, as it if held the answer to all of his worries and concerns. Surely the Maven of the String couldn't be here? He thought, before shaking himself out of his reverie. With a last forlorn look at the empty alley and the clear blue water, he turned and clanked away.

The green-skinned creature slumped down in the water, its pus-yellow eyes stung by the light of the sun before it shook it's head. He'd failed to charm the prince once, but he liked the sound of these tensions, running wild and free when the banner of regality fell away.

"A good meal requires foresight to manifest." He growled to himself, slowly getting used to speaking with the accent of the gambler. He crawled from the water, brushing the water off his pristine satin vest and leather armlets and coat. He picked his hat from the water with his tongue, hooking it onto his head, and looked towards the alley, his scent glands opening slightly to breath in the scents….

Freshly baking bread, hearth smoke, the river and the feelings of competition and tension. Perfect. He smiled a crooked yellow smile as he lumbered from the alley, intending to make himself known, known to all of those in the institute and the world as Tahm Kench… the River King.


	3. Chapter 3 - Whispered Words

Chapter 3: Whispered Words, Silent Suspicions

As the city surrounding the Institute of War woke up groggily to greet the day, the various citizens filtered out into the cobblestone-lined streets, their fashions and skin colours reflected a whole range of birthplaces and cultures, and the pudgy new arrival spend a moment taking it all in as he rested in the shade of a dark red awning. He had heard bits and pieces of the various cultures during his travels but had rarely seen so many at one time. The streets rang with yells and the whinny of horses, shouting of children, and the general hubbub of the city he hadn't been accustomed too, with so many years of the bubbling of the river and the cries of his victims to keep him company.

Truly, the River King was intimated, for lack of a better word. Charming a desperate, down on their luck individual into a bargain they'd wish to regress on later was simple enough, almost an automatic process after so many years. But to successfully win over an entire Institute, and be in the public eye all for the sake of his plans? He nervously fiddled with his hat, before looking down and seeing he had frayed the fine dark silk slightly. He frowned, and put it back on quickly.

His silent musings were abruptly shaken from him as he looked up to see a brigade of Demacian soldiers marching past, faces hidden by their full helms and forms encompassed by light suits of chainmail decorative armour, the gold pings of which glinted in the sun now shining overhead. The crowds parted to allow them to pass, averting their eyes or downright glaring at the encroaching armed men and women. Tahm read the movements of their bodies, the way they walked and held themselves, and knew the soldiers were as reluctant to be there as the citizens were to have them here.

Soon, the brigade passed by and the hubbub returned to the street, although slightly more subdued and reserved now. No-one felt comfortable with these displays of power, and it seemed to create more frictions then there usually was between these various sub-cultures. Seeing this reinvigorated him of his purpose, and he stepped out into the street, turns to face the incline towards the Institute. Heaven knows he'd wasted enough time.

As he passed through the various alleyways and under towering bridges hewn from white stone, he notice how he'd gone from a more neutral, orderly zone where he'd seen more Purple-robed summoners into a more industrious area with more ramshackle buildings. The smell of the salted fish for sale and the shouting of men brought back memories of Bilgewater, and he knew this was where the majority of trading and shipping happens, the Docks of the Institute of War. Next to the large, flowing open river from which he'd swum in on, it was, for the majority, a series of warehouses, inns and bars, most of which were quiet as the streets were filled in the mid-morning bustle. Merchants attempted to sell their wares in loud, rough voices above the general clatter of the crowd jostling and the carts trundling along. One thing that stood out to Tahm was the various men watching him from the alleys, brandishing large fish knives and meat hooks. He was able to increase his waddle to move out of sight with a small sigh of relief, and reached the seafront, where the smell of the water and rocks of the boats, for a moment, comforted him.

A commotion near a large, towering restraint caught his attention. A man familiar to Tahm was sat on a small crate, dressed in a long resplendent black coat and ten galleon hat, with tanned skin and black, rich hair, was raking a pile of coins towards him, which he'd just won from them in a game of chance, apparently. His cocky grin was visible under the rim of his hat as he held his hands up in defence, the gold mysteriously vanishing. "Fellas, calm your blades.." he said, as a number of the works had pulled out long butcher's knives, stained with the gore of a day's fishing and…other activates.

"You're a swindler, Fate!" one of them snarled, his yellowed teeth shining in the light of a swinging torch above the gambler. "That last ace was from your sleeve, it had to be!"

The mysterious man stood, brushing down his coat before flashing the man a quick smirk. "Sorry Rateye, The cards weren't in your favour today." He turned out his sleeves before fixing the man with another smirk.

One of their roars of rage was drowned out by a loud, ringing gunshot, and time momentarily stood still as a gutting knife was shot out of the air, thrown by one of the accomplices of this 'Rateye'. It landed to the side of the gambler's head, imbedding in the wooden post with a large, knuckle sized bullet hole in the blade. A gruff-looking man in a metal-rimmed cape stepped from the shadows, dropping his large cigar to the ground and stepping on it before reloading the intimidating shotgun in his hands, a heavy thunk ringing out as the hot shell landed on the gravel below. "Ya lost fair and square, all of ya. Now move it." He indicated with his rifle to the side, and loaded another slug as the men stalked off, growling and fixing the gambler with looks.

"The help wasn't needed, Malcom." Fate said nonchalantly, fixing his cuffs and looking to the man as he took a seat, tipping his hat to the man slightly. The man rolled his eyes and sat down on another chair, as Fate took the bag from his boot with a small smirk and began diving it between the two.

Tahm realised he'd been spying on the two through the sea of now-moving legs for a while, before shaking it off and straightening himself, fixing his shirt. A swindler and his bodyguard, nothing more. Though their still-recent looking cuts and bruises did show that something had occurred to the two, he shook it off as unimportant After all, he had places to be and didn't have the time to stand around and examine every other oddball.

Although Tahm was notably good at detecting emotions and body language, he was unable to feel the eyes burning into him from a balcony above. These eyes burned from the shadows as he watched the new arrival, dwarfed in size by the crowd yet standing out due to his attire. It wasn't exactly a common occurrence for a walking, talking catfish-like humanoid to enter the Institute, though knowing the summonses, maybe it was less of a shock then he thought. He growled before shaking his head, looking back to the swindlers he had been watching with hatred. They'd narrowly escaped him after the near collapse of Bilgewater, and the diplomatic immunity they were granted prevented him from drawing his pistol and planting lead between the Gambler's cocky eyes. All he saw was a flutter of a golden card where the two had been. He cried out in anger, drawing his flame-embued blackened sword and stabbing it into the balcony, singing the varnished wood black. As he turned to the shadowy room he had taken refuge in after the Burning Tides, he spotted the book of Bilgewater folk tales he'd been idly thumbing through. He saw a sketch that was eerily familiar to the creature he'd seen outside, although wearing no semblance of human clothes. His eyed widely slightly, and he picked up the book to read the full excerpt.

 _"The Devilfish: Said to stalk the oceans of Bilgewater, this creature has appeared in many different forms and outfits, although it is always known to make bargains with the needy and downtrodden. It isn't known what happens to those who meet the devil, but it is said it can be recognized by its soulful, enchanting song..."_

Gangplank shook his head and slammed the book, sending dust into the air as he tossed it back to the table and pulled his sword from the wood.

"I could use a meeting with the devilfish to solve me problems, after Fortune took it all from me..." He growled looking towards the spot where the taunting golden card lay on the packing crate, in the street below.

 _AN: Thank you to everyone who has read, followed or favorited my story so far! I'm flattered it's received so much attention for being my first shot at league fanfiction, though I'd really like some feedback in the form of a review. Is there too little Tahm in the story so far for you? Is it moving too slowly? I'm trying to address all the recent lore events at once, so your suggestions are appreciated!_

 _Peace, KawaiiPyro_


	4. Chapter 4 - Watchful Eyes

_AN: Thank you to all those who followed/favorited/left a review! Honestly, I didn't expect this positive of a response for my fanfiction, though I suppose I'd be the worst critic of it. Too close and all that. Also, responses!_

 _A fan: Thanks, I'm glad it could bring happiness to someone, even if it's still an evolving work. Tell me how you like this one!_

 _Croziff: Yep, he is. Well to be fair, everything he had was ripped out from under him. I tried to underline how unruly Biglewater and, by extension, the section of Bilgewater that lives within the Institute City, has become due to the events,_

 _StandoutAnonymous: Glad to see someone else mains the fishman like I do, what role do you play him as? Yours words are kind, and they put a smile on my face, though it is indeed a challenge to write Tahm Kench and feel like I'm not messing it up somehow, I've tried my best here but tell me what you think! I've tried checking out some of the other good Tahm stories on this site to get a grip on the way to write him, hopefully it'll show through._

 _Again, thanks everyone for their kind words, and I hope you all enjoy what I've got for this chapter!_

Chapter 4: Watchful Eyes, New Alliances

As the day wore on in the bustling streets of the Institute of War, Tahm could be spotted by the idle passerby to be resting in the shade of a large oak tree, tucked away in one of the side-parks of the bustling main causeway, which weaved and winded its way up the hill towards the central Institute. This high traffic meant no one had the time to bat an eye to him as he sat, scanning the crowds and resting his tired body.

He hadn't spent this long in the hot sun in many a year, and that plus the constant eyes watching him and shunting crowds had left him worn, and he took the moment of respite with a thin grin. A few dappled rays of the sunshine shone through the trees, making his rings and teeth glint in the sunlight. He watched it, the glinting reflecting off his yellowish eyes with a dull gleam before he looked up, seeing how the afternoon rush had eased slightly, leaving an unsteady quiet in its wake. He sighed, heaving himself to his feet and brushing the dirt off his shirt. It wouldn't do to appear dirty while making introductions, would it now?

As he breathed in the scents around him through his glands, he sensed something different to the constant 'city-smell' he had become somewhat accustomed to, of body odour, hot cobblestones and smoke. This new smell was of wild berries and flowers, the sort of sweet kind that grew far isolated from these sort of settlements. Tahm had spent enough time in the waterways of Runeterra to know these sorts of things, and guessed this was an individual who lived isolated, among nature. As the scent grew stronger, he suddenly lurched slightly and sneezed, the subtle smell of Fae magic burning his scent glands. Agh, he always had such a negative reactions to that blasted magic, he mused to himself as he rubbed his irritated moustache. His eyes scanned the crowd and saw a group of smaller individuals wearing garb that stood out from the crowd: A young, bandaged Yordle boy trailing frayed bandages behind him, a small girl with pink hair and fake cat ears, and a young woman with purple-hued skin, a large staff and an even larger hat. He lumbered from the shade, and saw as they sat down on the grass a distance away, seemingly not noticing him.

"Lulu, why're we out here? I hate leaving the Institute when it's crowded out. It's too noisy and busy, and no-one noticed when they trip me up or push me aside..." Amumu murmured, looking at the various frayed bandages on his knees and hands.

"To enjoy the sunshine, silly!" She said with a smile, tapping him on the head with her staff, showering him with various coloured sparkles. She either ignored, or didn't notice Pix tugging on her hair lightly, who had spotted the new approaching individual. "And anyway, Annie doesn't mind it. Right?"

Annie stretched out on the grass on her back, giggling at the two's antics. "Cmon Amumu, the crowds aren't that bad. They give me and Tibbers a wide berth!" She said, picking a flower and watching it burn in-between her fingers before tossing it away. She looked up, her green eyes looking up at the fluffy clouds and sunshine as Lulu unpacked a small baskets she'd pulled from seemingly nowhere.

A shadow grew over Annie, causing her to wince and look up confused, at the same time Amumu looked up to the shadow's bearer. A large, Catfish-humanoid loomed over them, fixing them with its pus-yellow eyes , his hands resting on his leather-rimmed collar as he stood at ease, before he took off his hat, bowing it to the two of them. "Greetings, young ones." He said in a low drawl, attempting to turn his low growl into a soothing tone.

"Aaaah!" Annie screeched, jumping up and landing on the grass next to Lulu, hiding within her hair and peeking from behind her to the large catfish. Amumu stood shakily, backing away and unravelling one of his sticky bandages, holding it in one hand "W-w-who're you?" he asked shakily, attempting to sound brave with his friends nearby.

Tahm faltered slightly, a slight hurdle in his plan to come off as charming. Most youths didn't seem this shocked to see him, but he quickly righted himself and held up a clawed hand to them, stuffing his hat back onto his head. "Whoa, calm yourselves little ones, I'm not here to harm. I'm but a humble traveller, looking for some company." He said with a yellowed grin, bowing his head to them again in a small gesture of respect, though he supposed the meaning was lost. He looked to the third seated at the picnic, seeing how she hadn't reacted to him as of yet.

"My name is Tahm Kench, and I simply seek to sit with you all. Don't be afraid. Just. Let me in. "He said in his smooth, charming growl, offering an outstretched hand to them.

Amumu faltered slightly but lowered his hand, looking to Lulu and Annie before back to him. "I'm…I'm Amumu. This is Annie..." Annie gave a small, timid wave from behind the curtain of hair. Tahm grinned wider, giving her the same. "And this is Lul-" He stopped and fell of his rear as Lulu shot up to her feet, hat flying a good three feet off her head before floating back down. She turned to Tahm with a wide smile, inspecting his outfit, his smile, his skin, anything she could with curious green eyes. As she did, Pix flew around, keeping a fair distance between him and the stranger.

"Hi there! Who're you? Are you a fish or a man? Where're you from Why're you creeping over by the trees? Are you a champion? Did they eat your family and that's why you've come to League to seek vengeance?" Lulu trilled off at a rapid pace, as Annie groggily sat up, having been too close to Lulu when she rocketed upwards.

Tahm listened, frankly dumbfounded a bit at the speed the young Yorlde was speaking, He looked from Amumu and Annie to her, before adjusting his braces and smirking down at her, pressing a single claw to her lips gently. "Whoa there, excuse me my dear, but your words are lost to me when they're so rapid. Does it look like I can handle that speed? I can barely run with this weight." He smirked down at her, watching how that cracked a grin on her face and she stopped talking.

"Lulu... Me and Annie need to go.." Amumu burst out, tossing a bandage which wrapped around Annie's wrist. "Uhm..uuh… Ashe needed our help in picking out here dress for the ceremony!" He said as he stood, before looking to Tahm. "N-nice to meet you, s-sir..Cmon, Annie.." He pulled the struggling youth along with him, who barely managed to grab her bear before she was taken with him.

Tahm watched them go, before smirking slightly. He could partially smell the fear and uncertainty on the Yordle's scent, and while it wasn't a reaction he wanted in his victims, it was funny to see all the same. He turned back to the Yordle, and looked down to the food. "Since they've left, would you be so kind as to let me sit at your table?" He requested, watching Pix with an air of uncertainty.

"Oh, sure Tom!" She smiled, sitting down at watching him as he sat down with a small rumble, hands resting on his large gut as she groaned slightly. He looked to the food, reaching down at scooping up a piece of sweetbread.

"How much do you eat, sir? Food isn't the cheapest to get around here, even for us champions..." She said, looking to the street, which had become busier with the afternoon rush.

Tahm regarded her with an air of uncertainty as well, before he shrugged, resigning himself to telling her the truth. Or partial truth. "Young lady, I don't need to eat food as you and yours friends might need to… It's more the thought put into it that counts. "He said with a grin that held more meaning then Lulu caught. She shrugged, offering him a pink-frosted cupcake. "Well this contains lots of love! I made them this morning!"

Tahm regarded in before his tongue slid out, gripping it from her hand, causing her to giggle and dig in the basket for something. While she was momentarily distracted, he shot the pastry away from him with his tongue and simultaneously whipped his hat from his head, with the tongue, allowing it to spin in mid-air for a second before slamming it down on Pix, who had been buzzing annoying next to his ear, trapping the overgrown butterfly in his fine silk hat, thrashing and calling out for assistance.

Lulu looked up at jumped at the sight of Tahm wrestling with his hat, before she giggled and lifted her whittled wooden staff at him "Need some help? I sometime have to fight my hat off too! Watch! Pretroficus!" She shouted, a lance of fae energy sparking out and striking the hat, causing it to rocket up and reveal the tangled, frayed Pix, who flew over and hid in her hair. "Pix! How rude! Because of you I almost blasted Tahm's lovely hat to smithereens!" She chastised.

Tahm caught it, depositing back on his head and sniffing at the residue Fae dust before grinning, laughing his familiar cackle at Pix's unwarranted abusing.

From across the busy thoroughfare, a purple-a yellow dressed woman watched the two with an inquisitive eye, her large top hat twitching slightly as the various brass lenses changed over her eye, allowing her a magnified view of the scene.

"Who… What is that, you think, Vi?" The Brunette asked, looking towards her bored looking partner, who had been lounging in her chair, half eating a pink cupcake that had landed with a crash on their flimsy metal table.

"I dunno cupcake, a new arrival to the league? It's not often you see giant fish men talking to weird Fae socresseseseses." She shrugged, spraying crumbs across the table before putting it down.

Caitlyn huffed, the mystery of the strange humanoid puzzling her. Even if it wasn't in her best interest, she wanted to get to the bottom of the strange new appearance, and why is coincided so well with the recent tension between the city-states, even more so then usual.

"Cmon Vi, we need to move. "She got up and picked up her rifle by the leather strap, walking over and cuffing Vi upside the messy pink head. She pretended not to notice the pinkette mimicking her talking with her large metal fist as she followed, the crashing of the metal café chairs signifying her entanglement with them. Caitlyn sighed, lithe fingers pressing her forehead. Today wasn't suiting up to be a short day."

 _AN: Thank you for reading this strangely long chapter, what did you think of it? Was the length good, did I get Tahm and the other characters right in their dialogue/mannerisms? Any/all suggestions, ideas or criticisms are welcomed, I'm not a pro and any advice is appreciated!_

 _Peace, Kawaiipyro_


	5. Chapter 5 - New World, New Tastes

_AN: Hey Guys, I mused for a while on what to include in this chapter, but I wanted to finalise the view we have on the city before we get into the league's inner working in the next chapter. Speaking of which, do any of you have any champions you want to see as a cameo? I'll try to work in a few of my favourite's next chapter, but any of yours are welcomed!_

 _In response to reviews:_

 _StandoutAnonymous: I never really played much jungle Tahm, is it still good? Thanks for your kind words about his dialogue, he's one of the hardest character to write IMO in the league so I'm trying my best to keep in consistent, what'd you think of this chapter? Thanks for being a regular to my fanfic, I'm glad it entertains._

 _CowMooooooooo: Thanks, I try my best to keep him in line with what we've seen so far. I'll try to keep up the same quality!_

 _Remember, Reviews & Feedback are appreciated and will be responded to! Thanks for reading y'all, and enjoy!_

 _-KawaiiPyro_

Chapter 5: New World, New Conflicts

The sun dipped lower in the sky of Runeterra, the heat of the afternoon dulling to a more bearable warmth as the streets of the Institute of War calmed down, the long, cobblestone walkways and roads for wagons empty after the traffic of the afternoon.

The majority of the crowds, consisting of Diplomats, dignitaries, Summoners, Champions, Citizens livings in the outskirts and merchants from every conceivable place on Runeterra filtered into their various abodes, leaving only a light trickle of traffic on these walkways. The differing fashions and mannerisms of the melting pot of cultures was easy to spot, but what stood out even more so from these crowds was a large humanoid catfish following alongside what appeared to be a walking hat with a stack floating ahead of it, although closer inspection did indeed reveal there was a violet-haired yordle underneath.

Said Yordle was pointing to the various towering spires and white-bricked buildings of the Demacian Pavilion, with considerably more open plazas and large fountains representing the Idyllic city. Various blue and gold banners and standards fluttering in the warm afternoon breeze, the only signs of life in the buildings as the majority of their windows were blindingly reflecting the sun's rays.

Tahm looked away, blinking once, twice before the redness in his vison went away. He never was a fan of this brightness, preferring the darkness and murkiness of the riverbed, and he tipped his hat slightly lower on his large forehead, behind realising it was far too small to offer him respite. He sighed slightly, and looked where Lulu had gotten herself to.

"Tahm! Up here!" said a voice, and Tahm looked up to see Lulu dangling from an iron standard by her hat, Pix resting on the metal tip precariously.

"Child, what're you doing up there?" He asked, a mild note of concern detectable in his low drawl, although he suspected Lulu didn't catch it.

"I'm just enjoying the view, Demacia's known for it's- Whoa!" She cried, grasping for the iron pole as a gust of wind blew the banner hanging from the pole, dislodging the two where they fell quickly towards the ground. Tahm reacted quickly, whipping out his tongue a good ten feet to gently catch her, the muscle well-practised to carry prey, as he laid her gently down and retracted it, licking his lips before looking down at her.

"Child, ya left me shaking in my boot-oh" He looked down at his bare clawed feet, before grinning slightly. Lulu wiped her hands on her dress and grinned up at him.

"Sorry Tahm, and thanks for the save-..Hey, where's Pix? Piiix?" She cried, her voice growing shill as Tahm felt a tickling under his tongue. He swirled the snack around in his mouth with a grin, before seeing her worried face and sighing. "Over there!" Tahm pointed towards the north of the Plaza before spitting Pix out at a bullet pace, landing with a splash in a nearby fountain. He sneezed afterwards, his mouth still tasting of Fae magic. Pix shook himself indignantly, righting his crooked wings and flitting over the Lulu, darting into her hair with a light splash. Lulu jumped and spun in a circle, looking to Tahm "Did you hear something-Oh!" She jumped as Pix popped out of her hair, and she kept skipping forward and nattering to him about getting her wet. Tahm chucked to himself and followed, glad he'd picked a particularly naive first associate.

After the resplendent and large houses and open squares of Demacia, directly opposite the main causeway was the Suburbs of the Noxus quarters. It didn't look particularly inviting, and Lulu too seemed more reserved and quiet as the two made their way through the slums. Tahm, in his Bilgewater attire and Lulu in her Glade-sewn dress certainly stuck out in the crowds of dark-robed summoners and poorer peasant-types, usually doing manual labour. There were also a number of taverns scattered throughout the slums, and more than one had a band of mercenaries giving the two the eye as they walked past. Tahm didn't feel like they were preparing the knives for his dinner date with them as he did while in the Bilgewater quarter, but he kept his head forward as they stepped over the uneven ground, past another few dilapidated hotels and houses and through an abandoned Parade Ground, with the cold-sterilised metal bunkers where the soldiers would rest on their rock-hard beds in the distant, the stainless steel glinting in the evening's light. Tahm took in a deep breath and smelled the scent of the city as they passed, but it was hard to taste the misery of the downtrodden peasants through the stink of smoke and blood littering the air. The violence in this area was too meaningless for him, it needed more... anger. He mused these darker thoughts to himself as they passed. Tahm and Lulu felt a certain weight lifted from them as they passed through this ground and back onto a main walkway towards the peak of the hill, with a gentle incline upwards.

Further up the path, outside a Tailor's Emporium sat a small, green-bandaged mummy on the steps, which stuck out in the orange, browns and greys of the city. Lulu ran up to him, with Tahm following at a more reserved pace.

"Amumu! What're you doing out here? Where'd Annie go?" Lulu asked quickly, looking towards the tailors and down the road, eyes darting around at a thousand miles an hour.

Amumu's eyes looked over Lulu "I-in there" he sniffed, upset at having been left outside, before his eyes met the eyes of Tahm and he tenses.

Before either of them could say anything, the door behind Amumu jingled as it open an Ashe stepped out, Annie, following behind her. The Queen stopped as she saw the collection of strange beings, looking to Amumu before jumping slightly, her hand sliding slightly towards her back, where her true ice bow rested along with a quiver of razor-sharp arrow. Tahm didn't like the look of those on his delicate new wear, so he swept himself into a bow, his tongue knocking his hat into his left and as he bowed his head to Ashe. "My lady, how does this day find you/" He said with a thin grin.

"This is Tahm, Ashe! He's a new arrival to the league and he's here to avenge his fish-family! I think he's related to fizz ifyouknowwhatImean…" Lulu smiled as she recited it. "And Tahm, this is Ashe, Queen of the Avarosan tribe of the Freljord."

Tahm nodded, deepening his bow slightly before depositing his hat back on as Ashe nodded to him, still clearly tense. "It is an honour to meet you, my Queen" He said, his low soothing drawl at odds with his slightly frightening smile and pus-yellow eyes.

Ashe shook her head, long silvery hair and nodded to Tahm uncertainly, her royal training kicking in even when confronted by a walking, talking fish-man. "A pleasure, Sir Tahm." He said. There are some thing seven royal training can't prepare you for, she mused as she turned to Annie, who was carrying a bag of her dresses. Annie had been watching the exchange with perked brows at the display Tahm put on, one hand gripping Tibbers a bit tighter than normal. Needless to say, the creature lulu had befriended didn't really sit right with her, and she was sure Amumu felt the same. She stayed silent as Ashe nodded once more to the two and led Annie and Amumu away, towards the Freljordian section.

Tahm watched them leave, before thinking out loud "Methinks your firebrand friend and the mummy haven't taken a shine to me." He said watching the three leave before turning to Lulu.

Lulu sighed "Maaaybe. It's weird, Annie and 'mumu usually like meeting new people." She mused, before shaking her head and taking his claw in her tiny, by comparison, hand. "Cmon! We still got a way to go before we get to the Institute!"

After another few minutes of walking with the only notable occurrence being Tahm trying to swat Pix out of the air multiple times with his tongue, the two of them entered the final section of the city between them and the Institute at the peak of the hill, the industrious Piltover/Zaun section. Piltover's shiny metal buildings with large glass panels, spindly, crooked houses and the central clock tower chiming overhead, and Zaun's more industrious factories and laboratories streaming green and grey smoke into the otherwise clear skyline. The various roads twisted and turned between the two sections, with more than one occasion of Tahm getting stuck and having to, embarrassingly, find another way around.

Neither of them felt the razor-sharp eyes of Caitlyn on them as she watched from the central Piltovian clock tower, the only noise at that height being the gentle whirring and clicking of the mechanical parts and the sudden bong, bong of the clock as it reached the eight hour. Used to it, Caitlyn barely reacted, only by fighting her grip on her rifle as she stared through the various telescopic scopes on the large amphibian invading her home turf. A harsh crackle broke her concentration, as the scattering frequencies of the transmitter honed in on Vi's voice. "Cupcake! What's going on up there! Seen the weird frog thing?" She asked, yelling into the device.

Caitlyn sighed, lowering her rifle and tapping the headpiece, lowering the volume. "I DID until you broke my concentration, dear." She said with a sickly sweet tone, which mate even Vi fall silent. Caitlyn sighed, rubbing her forehead before realigning her sights, finding Tahm had disappeared into the crowded, spindly buildings and haze of green smoke from a Zaun chemical weapon facility. She sighed, putting down her rifle, before looking up and seeing something on the horizon, growing closer. "Vi… I've spotted a bogey incoming from the Northeast. It looks like…"

Caitlyn's recon was drowned out by the blasting of a various, all too familiar theme song coming from the speakers attached to the missile as it grew closer and closer to the Piltover clock tower.

" _Come and join me…. Come and play…. "_

The voice of Jinx, amplified by many times. Turned heads across the city as the haphazard projectile careened past the clock tower, swerving haphazardly and spiralling back around. Tahm himself stopped eyes growing wide as a rain of hot bullet casing came down, making a series of tinks and plinks on the concrete. He hissed as one landed on his skin, the metal still hot. The maniac she saw riding the missile and blasting that god forsaken tune screeched in joy as she dived off, landing on a building and sprinting away into the smoke as the pink-tipped missile crashed with an almighty, earth-shattering explosion with the clock tower, causing it to creak and tilt slightly as half of the entire middle structure was gone. The same tune played on various smaller megaphone-like devices the madwoman had thrown around as the crowds ran from the collapse.

" _But I might shoooot you. In the face!"_

Caitlyn dived from a lower window, rolling and landing with a crash on another rooftop, clutching her treasured rifle as she watched the great structure creak again and collapse, taking out a number of the spindly tower-houses with it. A great cloud of dust expanded from the site, and a quiet fell over the city, until that damnable tune started up again, and Tahm stepped from the shadows of the Alley he had hidden in, holding a shaking Lulu to his large gut. "There there child...I think the maniac is gone. "He drawled, before looking at the destruction before him. "Does that. Happen often?" He inquired, seeing a section of a clock handle embedded in the ground nearby, shattering the cobblestones.

Lulu nodded, looking up at the skyline as a giggling Jinx sprayed rockets and grenades as she ran from Vi, who barrelled along the rooftops after her, fists held out as she charged.

"When Jinx is allowed free reign? Oh yeah, along she's been more active recently. Probably all the excitement around Bilgewater, She thought Piltover was getting too complacent." Lulu giggled. "She has the funniest laugh though!" Lulu nodded, her own high giggle soothing to his ears after Jinx's faded away.

Tahm shook his head with a sigh, know its take days to wash of all this dust from his new attire. He sighed, knowing nothing could be done about it for now, and he smiled slightly at the destruction and panic in the air. He might need to get to know this 'Jinx' character, with her skills in causing destruction and panic, she'd probably be a willing participants in one of his bargains.


	6. Chapter 6 - A Symphony of Calamity

_AN: Whoa, 1k views after only, what, a week or two of uploading this story? Thanks everyone of you for reading, I didn't think my little story would be worth this much attention. Truly, I'm loving writing this. I took a break for a few days since I've been getting ready to go back to university and been trying to get Gold before the end of Season 5, wish me luck! This chapter is a final introduction to the institute of War, and showing its current state, and finally ending with Tahm's League judgement. I always missed these, so I'll try to rationalise as best I can how I think Tahm got into the league. Any feedback/constructive criticism is appreciated!_

 _In response to reviews:_

 _Croziff: It's alright, I never really know what to right when I review stuff too. Anything you have to say about the story is taken and appreciated. Also, Kindred? They look cool and I'm excited bout what they'll bring to the game, but it seems Riot want to make everyone have a teamfight ult with Bard, Ekko, and Kindred. Ah well, I'm no pro player._

 _a fan: Aw, the kind words mean a lot to me. I'm still working on getting him down right, so any words of help are appreciated 3. As for Yasuo...hm, I dunno, any substory involving him would need to involve riven in some way, although I'm not sure how Tahm would react if they started making out like in every other Riven/Yasuo story. Heh._

 _BlueIndolence: I see Tahm and Aatrox as more as beings with common interests, which is creating unrest and chaos upon Runeterra. I'll try to emphasise that when I decide to introduce Aatrox. Thanks, I try to put as much detail into environments as possible, but fitting my characters to league's personas, I think, is my weak point. I'm glad I could satisfy, Trust me I've read a few cringeworthy LoL fanfictions aswell xD. I'll try to keep up the quality!_

 _Damn, these author notes just get longer and longer. Ah well._

 _-KawaiiPyro_

Chapter 6 A Symphony of Calamity

Night fell upon the Institute of war, Gas lamps flickering into life and illuminating the white cobbles of the main Thoroughfare, which sharply inclined upwards on this final stretch. The roads were quiet at this time, with only the occasional candle-lit window and Pix's glitters ahead of him reflecting the lamp's glow showing Tahm the life in this place. He trudged on, his constitution weary after the longest day of traveling his poor legs had ever achieved.

Lulu skipped along ahead of him, her hair carelessly dragging along the well-kept cobbles and wafting the same-berry scent he had become accustomed to throughout the day. Tahm stood up straighter, adjusting his coat as they approached their destination, the Institute of War. The monolithic building sat atop the hill like a mighty crown, lording it's presence over the land to show it was the sole purpose for this ramshackle collection of cultures to mash together. The sight awed Tahm, for he had yet to have seen such an undertaking by the summoners. Truth was, he wasn't sure what he had been getting himself into when he first read that scrap of paper, carelessly tossed into his kingdom, promising of a new wellspring of clashing emotions. His pace slowed as he stared up at the building, his weak eyes straining to etch out some detail in the dimness. Zaun's factories blotted out the stars, along with the fires raging like a dim glow in his peripheral vision from the Piltoverian houses, still burning from Jinx's rampage. He breathed in the still-lingering smell of panic and blood and he smiled, righting himself again, reinvigorated.

Lulu had stopped, noticing her new charge had wandered and she pirouetted, pointing her hewn staff at him. "Toooom" She sang, catching his attention. "Why're you slowing down? The summoner's won't want you to slack! Cmon!" She said, pointing her staff and firing a ray of Fae sparkles at him. "Tut tut!" She yelled into the night.

Tahm jumped and was struck in the gut, but instead of recoiling, he felt new energy surging into him. He ran after Lulu as they crested the final few hundred feet, and he stopped to catch his wheezing breath as he rubbed his chest. "H-huh…huhh...Child, what sorcery was that? Was that that fae magic of yours?" He drawled as his claws rubbed at his gut.

"Yeah! I wanted to speedify you, so I did!" she smiled, her green eyes glowing in the flames which were now on the horizon of his vision.

Tahm groaned and stood up again, lifting his shirt to reveal a growing red spot, irritation on his dashing hide from the Fae energy. He snarled slightly, but Lulu had already turned to the Central Courtyard.

This large open plaza was dwarfed in the centre by a large fountain, grander then any Tahm had seen in the Demacian Pavillion. It showcased five statues holding crystals in a ring, hewn from the same white stone the majority of the institute was made from, with one of each symbolising a different area. A Piltoverian Scientist, with his stone-crafted hextech devices and a pink decorum of "Jinx wuz here" scrawled on It, a Demacian and Noxus soldier in their traditional armour, a Summoner in the iconic robes and a shorter, Yordle attempting to emulate the other races. These five crystal all produced water which combined in a central, larger glowing crystal, which cascaded downwards into the basin. Tahm waddled forward as Lulu sat on the rim, her small legs dangling over her water's surface. A pile of glittering coins from across the world (Or worlds, as was the case with the Insititute and its champions.). They reflected the glowing light of the crystal.

As Tahm came closer, he noticed a pile of rubble and dust floating in the water, with some blue barrier-like shell around the debris of what once, was another statue in the hexagonal pattern of statues.

"That used to be the Bilgewater statue. On the day the burning tides went down, someone smashed it to show the city was dead. The summoner's barred access with these protective charms. They'll zap you with enough magic to liquidate you!" Lulu said nonchalantly, holding onto Pix who seemed strangely attracted to the glowing lights while dangling on the precipice of the pool of water, her hair hanging down to the cobblestones.

Tahm's eyes widened as he stepped backwards slightly, feeling the radiating energy of the fountain. He looked past the fountain to a pair of large glass doors, with inviting yellow light and noise of movement behind the glass barrier. Tahm waddled around the fountain, Lulu riding after him upon her staff, landing in front of him and touching the door with her small purple hand. It parted effortlessly into the wall flanking the doors, sliding into the walls in away Tahm had no seen before. Warm air and the buzz of a crowd invited the two in, the crisp air of the night cutting off behind them as the door slid shut.

They were, again, in a large space, although this room was in a dome shape and had crowds of summoners and, to a lesser extent, champions and diplomats moving to and fro. Into two large corridors leading off to the direct left and right of the central desk. Behind the desk, a foreboding set of double stone doors stood like a pair of sentinels, deep runes engraved into them.

Tahm's attention snapped back to Lulu as she called him to the desk, where he moved forward to meet her. A female summoner was seated, face hidden by her large hood, only her mouth visible as her head turned to face Tahm, only jumping slightly in her seat at the sight of the inhuman imitation gambler. Tahm grinned, bowing his head to her, and drawling a greeting. "Gooday Milady, how does this night find you?"

The summoner looked from him and leaned forward, addressing the short Yordle with a curt "Champion Lulu, who is this stranger. He doesn't seem to represent any city-state. We'd addressed your parade of animals on institute grounds before." She said exasperatedly.

Lulu giggled, still resting on her hovering staff, face hidden by her large hat. "Hey, that was for Amuu's birthday! The animals liked him...well...when they stopped playing tug of war with him…" She mused, before sitting up.

"OH! This is Tom, Tom Kench, Summoner!" She pipped up, gesturing towards Tahm. He nodded again, attempting to discern some sort of reaction from the woman. The hood proved problematic, but from the movement of her exposed hands and lower face showed tension, from how she gripped the blue crystal she had been manipulating. As she moved her hand, a new series of images lit up the various large monitors above their heads. As Tahm turned, these showed various battles taking place in what appeared to be a temperature, forest-like area. As he watched, a monolithic slab of rock seemed to barrel into a fox-girl with a billowing series of tails, and Tahm cringed at the sight. He turned his eyes back to the two at the desk, who seemed to be waiting on him.

"Oh. Apologies, my ladies. I merely came to this fine establishment in order to see what you might offer me to. Indulge myself." He grinned wider, yellowed fangs glinting in the inviting lights of the lobby. "I wish to become a champion of this fine institute, and show the world why I am their River King." He finished by bowing his head again, and adjusting his leather bracers.

The female summoner was silent for a moment, before holding one hand to the side of her hood, her mouth moving as if talking into her hand.

Tahm, watched for a few seconds before moving his attention back to the room at large, watching the crowds moving past, moving from either a large room filled with glowing portals of various colours on his direct left, or entering a glass corridor on the other side of the desk. None seemed to be leaving the institute at this time of night, which Tahm didn't blame them for. The cold air on his skin did tend to sap his strength after a while..it wasn't pleasant, to say the least. His attention was caught by the women nodding.

She looked back to Tahm and nodded, her hand raising and sending out a beam of blue energy, which hit a crystal embedded in the stone doors, parting them to show a darkened corridor beyond. "

"Enter, prospect. You will be judged by our central council shortly." The woman spoke, and she went back to her work as Tahm walked forward, Lulu floating behind him like a fly.

Tahm's walking was halted when he felt eyes on him, and he turned to see the same pale-skinned, wild-eyed charlatan from before, being led by two summoners to the glass corridor from the outside. "Hey Lulu!" She called, her voice rivalling the Yordle in terms of pitch. "Whos' the fishguy? He looked like he's Gangplank's dinner coming to take revenge!" she said with a wide grin.

Lulu giggled before shaking her head from side to side, "Nu-uh Jinx, he looks Like Fizz and Nami had a son who was far classier then either of them and enjoyed feasting!" She giggled before looking to Tahm "Uh, no offense Tahm."

Tahm smirked. "No worries child, I have thick skin to these sorts of jabs. I believe I possess the intellect to take them as what they are, and to be able to drive a rocket well enough to actually hurt someone." His grin grew wider at the insult to Jinx, as he tipped his hat and turned back to the stone corridor, Lulu giggled at Jinx's fuming as Tahm waddled into the corridor, the darkness swallowing him up as the doors slowly slid shut behind him with a bang that shook the entire lobby.

Candidate: Tahm Kench  
 **Date:** 9 July , 25 CLE

 **OBSERVATION**

 _Tahm Kench waddles along the corridor, his eyes glowing slightly as they adjusted to the low light levels, his grin growing as he accustomed to the new conditions. The corridor was eerily silent, with only his footfalls breaking the silence. His richly detailed rings glinted in the low light, throwing light across his yellow and greenish-hued amphibian skin and yellow fangs. Said fangs were curled up into a grin as he mused what the league had in store for him. Tricks? Illusions? He was well versed in human's attempts of bargaining, he figured he'd have them around one, richly-blinged claw._

 _His movement is blocked by another, smaller set of doors, flanked on each side with a set of marble panthers, their emerald eyes glinting in the dark as they inspect Tahm. His eyes are drawn to the inscription above the stone: "The truest opponent lies within." Ignoring the glare of the panthers, he reaches forward and presses against the door with his hand. It parts effortlessly with his push, revealing encroaching darkness beyond._

 _With nary a pause for breath, he ventures into the unknown._

 _He opens his beady eyes to find himself there, in the run-down alley on the pontoon of Bilgewater. Salt and the river's scent filled the air, along with the smell of smoke. A mob was approaching, and at the front was a well-dressed man, sprinting along. He took refuge in the alley and, as the smell of smoke and angry shouting grew closer, he ran up to Tahm, who had been watching the scene from the shadows. His tongue was drawn like a string in his claw, and he had been playing his song, which drew the attention of the Gambler. He stopped and looked up as the man approached._

 _"Excuse my song," the monstrous siren said. "The tune's purpose was your attention. For I knew you had troubles and I can offer absolutions."_

 _As he spoke, his saw the youth jump and turn, as the crowd thundered past, yelling his name into the smoke-streaked sky. Hurriedly, he turned and addressed his salvation again._

 _"Can you carry me from this bind?" the youth asked._

 _"Boy, the world's one river, and I'm its king. Ain't no place I ain't been. Ain't no place I can't go again... And the price is a minuscule thing. See, I got hungers that ain't easily fed. But those finest tables? They ain't never got a seat for me. So I need men, like yourself, and let me in."_

 _He watched the boy listen to his words, but his urgency caused him to disregard what Tahm was asking. Tahm grinned wider as the boy agreed. It was almost too easy, both of the two thought about each other._

 _Now the Gambler's only hunger was dice and cards. So this bargain? It seemed too easy a price. "If you're offering a ticket," the youth finally said, "that's a deal I will take." And before another word was spoke, the monster snapped him up and fled._

 _To a faraway land the Gambler was conveyed. At a palace of chance, he was left._

 _Years passed. And love the Gambler found. His bride? a princess. And the wedding? None would miss._

 _Now when that hungry beast finally did arise: the family screamed and fought. And although the Gambler tried to cast him out... it ate the gifts, and house, and gold! For its hunger? Nothing satisfied._

 _"Please, not now, not this time!" the bride did cry._

 _The beast's response? To her it purred, "This hunger's a burden, but it's the last time, I swear. So please, forgive."_

 _Now the creature's lies, so melodic and sincere, charmed that bride. And thus she failed to recognize when that demon's jaw unhinged. She screamed, just once. As his tongue wound around her waist,he froze. He felt his body pause, and a dramatic sense of wrong overtook him. No! This wasn't how it had gone!_

 _His eyes met the bride, who had been halfway between her death scream a second ago, staring at him as he lifted her above his gaping maw._

" _Why do you want to join the League, Tahm Kench?" She asked, emotionless. He growled, sucked her in and attempting to bite down. The faux-women faded into magical dust before his jaws had time to close. The youth. The boy, Tahm Kench, appeared before him, eyes staring at the now-naked catfish._

" _Why do you want to join the League, Tahm Kench?" He asked, in the same tone of voice. Tahm stepped back, teeth still extended, before he shook his head. "Messin' with my memories, summoners?" He asked, before he shot his tongue out, stealing the hat from the boy's head. "Why, I simply desire a feast, and for me your Institute is a buffet. Why deprive myself of the biggest melting pot of emotions there is on Runeterra?" He asked, spinning the hat on his claw and bowing to the boy he stole the identity of._

" _Will you make a bargain with the Institute?" the Youth asked, looking down at him. "Do you swear to cause of harm on any of the alliance made within these walls, and make no attempt of your own to harm the peace we are keeping? You have powers we require, and we won't deny you your…feast, if you respect these boundaries." He droned._

 _Tahm grinned, laughing his maniacal laugh, before locking eyes with the youth again._

" _Go ahead, keep your peace. The alliances you make are merely temporary. The river and I are the only things that will last once this institute of yours crumbles, and I will feast on the leftovers." He snarled, licking his many yellow teeth._

 _The boy's attire changed to that of a summoner, who nodded their head to him and stepped aside, revealing a set of open doors beyond them, the scene of Tahm Kench's burning cabin faded, revealing the same blackness as before. Tahm was left alone, clothed the same as he came in with. Reinvigorated, he stood up straight, waddling towards the now open doors to the league. He didn't have time to waste, for the ingredients lay beyond those doors, all he needed was to prepare them!  
_

 _AN: Annnd that's another chapter down! I took large chunks of the dialogue from the River King, because I love the way it writes. All was taken from ( wiki/Tahm_Kench/Background), thought I tried expanding it to show how I feel a Tahm Kench league judgement would go. Thanks for reading!_

 _-KawaiiPyro_


	7. Chapter 7 - A New Buffet Begins

_AN: Hey all, Kawaiipyro here. I'm sorry for the looooooong absence from updating, but I've been busy with starting my new year in university and getting everything I need, and only now have I need able to think of a write a fitting follow-up to last chapter. Thanks for sticking with me! Now, for review:_

 _Malleus08: Thanks, I've been trying to get it down and I believe it's fairly accurate now though._

 _A fan: Aw, thanks bro. I'm honoured my little story could be one of your favourites and I'll try to keep pleasing you! Also, Urgot and Tahm. I don't think there's much to get the two talking in the first place, it's not like Tahm is a miracle worker who can give him his old body again. He's literally a pile of rotting flesh on robot legs soooo…yeah. Funny suggestion though xD_

 _Creaturemaster: Tahm's not that low, is he? After a quick google search I see him nowhere near the lowest win rates, that's currently Ryze Azir and Nidalee. He's a strong Tank/Support imho, especially when paired with Kindred. Also, KINDRED HYPE MUCH?_

 _TheRedGhillie- I plan to, although updates might be a bit sporadic for a bit._

Chapter 7 – A new buffet begins

The only noise in the cental lobby of the Institute was the sliding of the great stone doors, as they parted to allow the latest new arrival. His tongue flicked out to wet his lips as his eyes blinked slowly, taking in the new surroundings. His vision adjusted to the harsh light after the darkness of the judgement chamber, revealing a large white lobby area similar to the one he had left. All was quiet save for the electric buzzling of the hextech screens on the wall, and the shifting of the female summoner seated at the desk in the centre. To the right and left of the desk were two hallways, and waiting for Tam infront of the desk was-

"Tom!" a high voice trilled, and Lulu zipped over in a shower of purple dust. Lagging behind her was the scantily-clad madwoman and a small, orange…creature. Tahm's grin split wider as he sorted his coat, letting out a soft "oof" as Lulu bounced off his stomach.

"Whathappaned? How'd IT GO? Did you get to hear the screams of your family as they were devoured by the horde of evil huma-"Lulu's blathering was cut short as a large, green claw was rested on her hat. His eyes scanned over the new arrival, who seemed to be garbed in a small loincloth and various unidentifiable animal bones and was wielding a small boomerang. "Wabbo!" it exclaimed, holding up its 'weapon' and shaking it at Tahm with a rattling noise.

"OH!" Lulu's tirade was stopped as she realised the orange one and Jinx were still there. "Tom, I completely forgot to introduce you to your fellow champions!" She grinned wide as she let go of him, turning to indicate the smaller one. "This is Gnar! He was a prehistoric yordle before he got himself frozen in true ice and now he's on a noble quest to…um…" She looked to Gnar, who looked back at her, puzzled.

"…"

"…"

"Why are you here exactly, Gnar?"

"Goova."

While those two continued their debate, Tahm looked over Jinx, who was mimicking shooting the various rotating power crystals or monitors with her shock pistol. She mimicked a final blast and a fake explosion with her slender fingers before turning to look at him. "Oh, hi again fishboy." She said with an exaggerated smile and a wave of the hand. "You would've believe how boring it was waiting for you, it just made me want to…" She aimed her pistol at the door behind him "zzzZAP!" she grinned as the blast lanced past his arm, singing his fine leather armband. With a snarl, Tahm lashed out his tongue and fixed it around her spindly wrist, causing her to 'eep' and pull against it. Tahm pulled it harder, only to hear a high voice shouting him down.

"Tom! Let go of her right now!" Lulu protested, fixing him with a glare and a pout. He rolled his eyes and relinquished the madwoman, who turned and loudly mumbled to herself about filet mignon and how Tahm would look better served with butter as she fixed her malfunctioning pistol, a large mark still visible on her arm. Tahm shook himself, his teeth shrinking slightly to their normal size as he looked to Gnar again. He walked over to Tom and poked his stomach with the boomerang, seemingly wanting attention.  
"Yes, child? Do you need something?" he asked, still watching Jinx with one eye as she worked a small distance away. The yordle-creature shook his head, before poking Tahm again in his delicate stomach with the sharp instrument. Tahm growled slightly, fixing his coat as the young boy seemed to grin at him, doing it again, and again, and aga-

Tahm snatched up the boomerang with his tongue in a splitsecond, grinning triumphantly as Gnar stopped, looked to his hand, then to Tahm, before seeming to shout and bark at him in his attempt at speech, Tahm kept the instrument tucked away, grinning down as Gnar seemed to grow ever angrier and angrier, his eyes glowing white.

Lulu pulled on his arm, muttering a "Tahm, you really shouldn't have done that…."

Tahm backed away slightly, before sticking said boomerang in Jinx's back pocket. Lulu hid under her hat as, with a roar of "GNAAAAAAAAR!" the boy erupted into a red giant-like creature, landing on the white marbled floor with a crunch, locking eyes on the back of Jinx as she turned around.

"I fixed Zap! Lulu? Where'd you go….ooo…?" She said as she looked up at the towering giant where Gnar had been standing. It growled down at her, ripping a chunk of the floor out as it looked at her.

Tahm let out a loud cackle as Gnar chased Jinx down the corridor to their left, tearing apart the pristine white walls and parting the flow of summoners leaving a trail of confusion and destruction in their wake. Tahm grinned wide, watching as the summoners scampered to clean up the mess the two were causing with a cascade of shock blast shots, grenades and thrown boulders. This was the sort of welcoming committee he preferred. He picked up what seemed to be a softly vibrating hat off the floor, Pix coming out from hiding and Lulu looking up at him, scared.

"My dear, don't we still have a tour to complete?" He asked her with a grin, as the noise of the Loose Cannon and Missing Link faded into the distance.

Once leaving the Main lobby, the two meandered down a long, pristine corridor, with only an occasional Summoner or dignitary disturbing the two as they walked. Soon they came to a balcony, which was overlooking a small fielded area, the central plaza of the institute's interior. It was surrounded on all sides by various shops, eateries and areas for champions to simply enjoy the fresh air. Tahm's eyes narrowed under the bright light of the lamposts, and he began to miss the dark marble hallways he had seens until now. Lulu was entangled with the wooden railings, spying over the various small figures in the expanse below, pointing them out to Tahm.

He, however, was more focused on the sky. It was still the darkness he had seen before, although the sun's rays were beginning to invade the horizon. He saw a flock of birds approaching the institute, a mangy-looking raven and Demacian Eagle part of them. He turned to Lulu, breathing her from her talking with his low, growling voice.

"My dear, it's been a long first day out of the water for me and I'd like to retire at some point. It wouldn't do to meet my fellow champions half asleep, now would it?" he asked her with a small, tired grin.

"Oh! Of course! I already got your keys…. Here...somwhere…" He dug around in her hat, tossing out a pink cupcake, a squirrel and heavy leather journal from its vast depths before finding a set of shining house keys. He took them with his claw, tucking them into his jacket pocket after reading the indention on them – 126, Independent. He looked up to Lulu, who was refilling her hat with the various knick-knacks and the ungodly amount of sugary snacks she had stashed in there. He recalled the terror he'd felt when she was falling from the standards earlier that day, and he shook his head as he was starting to feel emotions towards these individuals. All hopefully a side effect on his journey to the ultimate buffet, he mused as she led him to his room for the night. After all, nothing escapes hunger, not even those he classified as 'friends'.

 _AN: Thank you all for reading, I'm sorry for the delay this chapter had but I hit a writer's block when thinking of ideas, that and starting a new term at school meant I put it on hiatus for a while. Updates might still be sporadic but I want to get back into this, and any feedback/suggestions you guys have is greatly appreciated._

 _Thanks, KawaiiPyro_


	8. Chapter 8 - Stage Set, Tables Laid

_Hey Guys, KawaiiPyro here. Thank you all for your quick responses, I'm glad to see people are still paying attention to my little ol' story. I debated for a while over what characters to use when first writing this chapter, but I've gone with these, including some ideas from your suggestions. ^^ Thanks guys! Hopefully this'll be a good return to form, but any criticism/feedback you guys have would be appreciated._

 _Thanks, - KawaiiPyro_

A soft, thick bubbling sound roused Tahm from his slumber, and his eyes darted left and right in the murky green water, his whiskers reaching out to feel for the shoreline weakly as he roused himself. It felt as if he'd been asleep for weeks instead of the few hours. His mind slowly pieced together the puzzle as to why this water wasn't the ice-cold clear water of the Runeterran Midlands, and was more reminiscent of the swamps of the Lower Riverlands where he'd last… eaten.

He slowly rose to the surface of the warm water and mud mix, dull yellow eyes glinting in the sun shafts coming through the storm windows, the heavy wooden window-coverings only letting thin strips of light cover the dark wood floors. Tahm growled to himself, wondering what imbecile had left those open. He was anything but an early riser, but it seemed he'd need to adjust to the sleeping patterns of these... Humans if he'd want to get his plans into motion. A good gentlemen is never tardy, he grinned to himself as he hauled himself out of the water pool at one end of the room, sending the floorboards straining and creaking up a protest as he moved across the floor to the wardrobe. He took his hat off of a shiny golden coat hook, turning it so the fish hook on it glinted dully in his eye.

"Let's go... get acquainted with this world..." He chuckled to himself as he left the dark, sheltered Cabin room and stepped into the sterile white corridor. The harsh lights of the corridor's crystals interspaced along the walls irritated his eyes, but what did even more so was the large yellowed letter adorning his doorstep, assigned with obviously hand-drawn purple butterflies. With a groan and the squeak of his leather jacket, he attempted to pick it up once, and twice before sighing. He looked both ways along the seemingly deserted corridor before his tongue shot out, crumpling the envelope in its grasp and bringing it to his eye. A letter hung out that read, in a swirling purple font:

"Hi Tom! I got summoned before I could meet you outside, but wait for me in the central atrium! I spoke to the lady summoner at the desk and she said your first testing sessions isn't until this afternoon, so I can show you all of my hiding spots and teach you all of my fairy friend's names! Oh, oh, oh, and I suppose we can also look around if we reeeaaally must.

Love, Lulu", followed by a few swirls that were obviously meant to be either hearts or butterflies. Tahm smirked slightly as he smoothed out the letter, folding it with his tongue and tucking it into one of the many pockets of his coat. He turned, looking along the corridor to find his bearings.

At the end of the corridor marked by a plaque as the "Independent/Unaffiliated Champions, Rooms which he was peering, a set of stairs with a bronzed sign next to it, indicating that was the way to the Central Champion Square. His eyes scanned over the doors as he did so, inspecting the numbers and names, along with the various scratch marks/scars on the wooden slabs. Each of them were a small glimpse into the life of the individual, with one Marked as '120 – Kalista, the Lady of Vengeance.' He stopped for a moment, noticing the dull black mist that seemed to leak from the room, along with the sudden chill to the air and the smell of something. Off. He groaned as he recognized the scent – Stale air, moss and decay, the flavour of the Shadow Isles... and anger.

Before he could complete his thought, an emaciated, harsh blue hand had extended from the shadows the lights was throwing into the wall behind Tahm, extending an ethereal spear towards the River King. Before it reached him, He'd shook his head to rid himself and continued on, failing to notice the eyes seething with hatred glaring at him from behind.

"A new traitor joins the herd... One who has betrayed many, and feeds upon it...we shall gut the fish…" Kalista growled to herself, turning sharply and walking into the shadowy portal on the wall she had phased in from.

Tahm climbed down the last stair and found himself in the large open square, the sunlight harsh on his skin after the shadowy hallway. He found himself leaving a large building which was the main living abode, and across the Courtyard he was in, past a small upwards incline which he didn't find the prospect of enticing, An entrance to the central institute lay. The square was mostly empty, with the areas being cut off to all besides Champions and the diminutive Coffee Shop owner who was cleaning a mug idly and hadn't noticed the new…. observer.

Tahm moved his gaze across the square, noting how everything looked pristine, with greenery having been tended to a cared very well, even to his untrained eye. Although, he smirked to himself as he padded across the square, he did have the green thumb to be a gardener, his aspiration was a bit more… grandiose.

A shuffling from the trees was brought to Tahm's attention halfway up the winding road leading towards the institute. He turned a found a pair of fluffy ears poking out of a small bush off the path. When his gaze fell on them, the diminutive owner of the ears froze, the brownish fur on them standing on end.

Sensing fear, Tahm couldn't help himself as he ambled over and leaned over the bush itself, watching with a grin as the shaking increased ever so slightly, the scent of fear and suspense tangible in the air.

"Well well, I didn't know I would be a spectacle this fine afternoon. Who might you be, you find little morsel?" Tahm growled, leaning forward to tower over the bush before there was a flump and then a cloud of explosive fungal spores sprung up underneath Tahm's overeager claw, revealing his misstep onto a sort of mushroom trap. Tahm wasn't concerned with the spores stinging his eyes or mouth… his new find was escaping!

Teemo scampered into the underbrush, as Tahm whipped his tongue wildly, snapping a branch directly above the scout's head and making it land with a crunch where the Yordle had been a second before. Tahm growled, his composure fading and teeth elongating as he waded through the dust and spores. He growled, shaking his head as he glared after the scampering snack. His scales were already mending the irritation from the poisonous cloud, and the bright sunlight on the road forced him to shield his eyes for a moment.

He growled, fixing him appearance for a moment, brushing dirt and mud off of his silk wear and mentally marking another guest at his feast. He allowed himself a small grin, knowing that the peeping tom would get what was coming to them. He'd have to get used to prying eyes watching his every move though, he thought as he entered the great glass doors to the Central Atrium.

The lobby itself was rather quiet, the only sound besides the constant soft buzz of magical energy pulsing through the crystals that lit the roof was the audio from various monitors on display. Tahm had overlooked these before, but with nothing better to do he sat himself on a comfortable looking red armchair that seemed custom-made for his frame and watched the screen, the first thing coming to view were two men, bother donning armour of Ionian warriors although with distinctly different styles, battling in what seemed to be a moderately wooded area. Around them, small red and blue cloaked…things were aiding in the assault as the one donned in blue thrust himself forward, pushing the red armoured one to the side and guarding himself with a sort of ki energy, deflecting the other's razor sharp onslaught. Tahm watched with interest, even from this simulated display he could feel the emotions, the tense rivalry between the two... and the whispered tales of the Ninja clans came back to him, one night when he'd been resting in the clear waters of the Ionian Northlands. These two were long lost friends, forced to turn away from each other after one turned down his own path. If there were more delicious feuds like this in the League, then he'd stumbled upon a special surprise. Oh how he'd enjoy turned them against each other, watching them succumb to his promises with the threat of their world crumbling around them. The thought had him grinning wide at the prospect before realising a small purple hand had been tugging on his for the past few seconds. He shook himself from his reverie and sat up, turning to face the inquisitive gaze of Lulu.

"Tom, are you alright? You looked to be in your own little world… OH! You saw the match? Did you see me there? Did you see when I tranmugulated Veigar into a cute little-"

Tahm phased out her babbling slightly as he stood and followed her to the centre of the room. He shook his head, chasing away the thoughts of his ravenous hunger at the prospect of those two. They'd get their time, as would everyone else in this world. He grinned to himself, a low chuckle escaping his lips.

No meal was too great for the River King.

 _Hey All, sorry this chapter took a while! I've had a case of block for a few days trying to figure out how to get back into writing this, and I thought with this chapter I'd try to show a bit more of Tahm's inner thoughts, if you aren't a fan/ thought it needed anything, please tell me! I'm obviously still refining this formula._

 _Also, I will be introducing the battle as well as having a lot more dialogue in the next chapter, with Tahm meeting his summoner and his teammates of his first match. Any suggestions for who the enemy/allies would be? I have these ones nailed down:_

 _Bot Lane: Tahm/Draven (These two seem like they'd clash well) vs Jinx and Braum/Thresh_

 _Mid Lane : Lulu vs ?_

 _Jungle : No ideas yet._

 _Top : Same as jungle, although Gnar might be on there._

 _So, give me your suggestions! Who, lorewise, would you find an interesting ally/enemy to Tahm in his very first match? I'll reply to any and all reviews, as I do with every other chapter._

 _I'll sign this off with my quick response to you guys:_

 _Croziff: Thanks for the suggestion, and I'm glad you're happy I'm back. I'm missed writing this, and it's humbling too see people happy it's back. Hope this chapter doesn't disappoint!_

 _Amohugz: Thanks, Long Live the Kench, even though he got nerfed this patch. They'll never unload the toad in my eyes though._

 _CreatureMaster: That's a good idea, Support is the role I know him best in anyway and it does fit in a lore perspective, although maybe the summoners would want him top instead? To get a better feeling of the 1v1 experience. Who knows, the list is subject to change. I do like the idea on including Braum, his friendliness does indeed make a game fun to play as him, and it would go well against the refined-sounding but scheming Kench. Thanks for the feedback, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!  
_

_Thanks guys, signing off with love, KawaiiPyro_


	9. Chapter 9 - Let's Start the Show!

Tahm and Lulu made their way down one of the glimmering marble and glass corridors, various champions Tahm had yet to learn the names off passed by, most giving cursory glances and nods to Lulu, though most seemed..Wary of her, to Tahm's eye. And once their gaze fell to him, he'd give them a grin and tip his hat to their, oftentimes bewildered, expression. After Lulu's quick explanation of who he was to half a dozen confused champions including a lumbering Treant with a swinging lantern and a windswept-looking Ionian samurai with a massive sword. Tahm took some pleasure in their responses, preferring to offer them a low greeting in his thick rumble, as Lulu did the majority of talking,

Already it seems his presence was causing waves. Those he had spoken to fell intot0 he crowd of summoners, whispering words about 'That fish-man', Tahm felt the urge to chuckle as his influence was slowly but surely taking root. He didn't even notice when he bumped into Lulu, sending her sprawling to the floor on her front as she bounced off his belly.

"Ow! Tom!" She protested, pushing up her hat and turning to look at him, annoyed. He shook his head, lowering his hand to offer to hers.

"My apologies dear, seeing so many new faces had me... enthralled. I wasn't paying attention to my… width." He smirked slightly when she giggled at that, and she turned to point at a tall archway in front of them, her voice echoing slightly in the now-emptying corridors.

"It's okay! We're here anyway! This is one of the Summoning Stations, where we champions meet to get transported to battle. They're also sort of a resting place between battles. We mostly use many smaller versions but since today is a special occasion, we're all being summoned here to watch a match!"

"Oh? And what makes this particular match so special?" He asked as they passed through the surprisingly tingly protective barrier, and into the room proper. Lulu shivered, Goosebumps running up her pale lilac skin while Tahm felt naught but a slight ripple through his hide. His eyes widened as the large room the two had just entered was exposed to him.

They seemed to be in a large auditorium, with rows of seats descending down towards a central platform embedded in the floor, with a blue light shining down on it being the sole light source in the room, and making the magical runes on the platform itself glow slightly. The room was quiet, with a few figures of various shapes and sizes sitting in the stone seats. Tahm looked left to right warily, attempting to discern anything about the spectators who all seemed to be waiting for something, by the way they all faced the central glowing platform. Lulu pulled on his leather bracelet softly and pointed towards the centre, where one of the purple-robed summoners had appeared in a pillar in blue light from the crystal above.

"Champions." Rang the voice, and all became quiet among the crowd. The summoner's voice seemed to have magical properties, reflecting off the stone walls and the crystals imbedded in them, which then sparked to life with a dull blue glow. This illuminated the crowd, and Tahm's collection of misshapen silhouettes turned into one of the oddest things he'd seen in his life. A large crowd of onlookers, most of them humanoid but with a fair scattering of the downright bizarre, such as what appeared to be a living rock situated at one end of one of the benches, as well as what appeared to be the Legendary Cryophoenix of the Freljord… Tahm's head spun to remember all of the mythical tales of these champions he'd heard whispered on the wind, as he prowled in a shallow riverbed. As the Summoner droned on reporting the news of a new champion, Tahm found himself stepping backwards, back hitting the magical barrier which sparked in protest. He let out a large gulp and one claw fiddled with his leather bracer as the summoner finished his speech.

"… We are proud to present you, with the newest addition to your roster, Tahm Kench, the River King!" He raised one arm, the light illuminated where Tahm stood, alone as Lulu had slipped off to the side. Tahm shook his head slightly to rid the panic that had settled in his gut, and he spoke up, a wide grin settling on his face as he bowed his head, reciting the line he had rehearsed to himself on the journey here. This was his first impression to the vast majority of the League, and he had thought ahead so as not to miss his moment.

"Greetin's, all of you fine champions who stand before me today. I've travelled this fair continent's waterways for many moons, and when I heard about the veritable... chaos around here of late, why I thought a travelled gentleman such as myself would fit right in and help ease some hearts… that is, if you'll let me in." He bared his wide yellowed grin at the audience, spinning his hat on one claw before bowing to them all again.

He tried not to react to the tens of pairs of eyes still inspecting him, his attire and muttering between themselves, and when the Summoner indicated him to do so he set off plodding down the stairs, carefully listening to the thoughts of his fellow champions.

On a bench near the back, a certain woman was watching Tahm make his way down the stairs through the lenses on her top hat. She turned to face her neighbour, who was also watching the River King make his gradual descent.

"That's the fish guy who we've been tailing, Cait? Why would they offer any random traveling... thing a position in the league?" Vi asked in a low whisper to Caitlyn, which she didn't pull off at the best of times. Caitlyn regarded her with a look, before nodding downwards two rows to the Shard of the Monolith, Malphite, who was rather unconcerned with the new arrival and was instead shifting on his seat, which seemed to be breaking under his weight. As he did so, a troupe of concerned-looking Yordle champions shifted along the row, away from him and continued their hushed conversation.

"You've seen this guy before, Teemo?" Asked Tristana incredulously, taking off her large blasting goggles to get a closer look over the heads of those in front of the group.

Teemo nodded vigoursly, seeming to shrink in his seat and watch Tahm like prey spotting a ferocious tiger, and he nodded slowly. "Y-yeah...he nearly slapped me in half with his tongue alone!" Teemo muttered in a low voice, his eyes trained on Tahm as he took his place in the centre of the room.

In front of the two diminutive yordles sat a small gathering of various soldiers and assassins, with the glint of a few knives and blades evident even in the half-light on the stands. Katarina was watching Tahm with a close eye and then turning to the man at her side, a hooded figure who was leaning back, face hidden under his hood.

"Think he looks like a threat, Talon?" She asked of the man, who simply shifted in his seat and shook his head. He lifted his hand up and rubbed down his wrist blade, before grinding to her slightly. "Heh, not unless you want to get an upset stomach, I've read that sort of fish does terrible things to you."

Katarina rolls her eyes at the unhelpful comment, looking past Talon to see two shadowy figures standing at the end of the row, which seemed to be a robed man and a cloaked woman also staring at the newcomer. These two were two of highest nobles in Noxus, Swain and Leblanc, and she wondered what their thoughts were on the new arrival. If Swain had any plans, they probably wouldn't work out well for herself or his other pawns.

However, her train of thought along with the general undercurrent of noise and conversation halted once the Summoner raised their voice again.

"We will now be call forward the Champions who will be accompanying the River King in his first match. He will be taking the role of Support, and therefore he will require a suitable Marksman." He raised his hand and a screen appeared behind him in mid-air, where four squares indicating the other members of team to be selected. The first one lit up to show an arrogant-looking man with a long moustache, who was grinning both in the camera and in the Summoning Station.

"Yeah! These summoner's have good taste when they pick DRAAAAAVEN!" Exclaimed a voice as said man stood with his arms wide, moving out of the group of his Noxian associates and making his way down towards Tahm. Tahm could positively taste the narcissism and haughtiness emanating off him, and had to close his scent glands as the man came towards him, almost feeling overbeared by both his presence and his cologne. Draven smirked down at Tahm, and chuckled to himself, flashing his white smile. "Glad to see they use me to test the new meat... or should I say fish?" He turned and laughed loudly to the room, which resulted in a spread of annoyed looks.

Once the room had lost the echoes of Draven's speech, the next square illuminated to show a familiar lilac face and large-hatted individual, who squealed with excitement from near the entrance. "Ooh! Tom! You're with me!" Lulu cheered as she rode her staff down the stairs in a trail of glitter and faerie dust, and stopping just before him, jumping off and smiling up at him. He grinned back at her and the third square lit up, showing what appeared to be a deep-sea diver's helmet with glowing deep red eyes. There was a low crunch around the room as said Diver climbed to his feet with a groan coming from his armour, and he turned to proceed down the stairs, Lulu whispered to Tahm behind her hand.

"That's Nautilus. Big guy, but doesn't talk much. He was lost ages ago to some crew that left him in some corrupted water. I think. Now he's come here to try and track them down. All I know is that being hit by that Anchor hurts, so I'm glad he's on our team."

Nautilus stepped onto the circle, his deep breathing slowing as he looked down at Tahm, before he hefted his heavy Anchor and chain onto his shoulder with a creak and turned to look up at the monitor, his dulled armour reflecting the electric blue light.

"Whoa, Naut. With your and Fishbreath over here it's beginning to stink of the sea! And I thought teaming with Fizz was bad!" Draven said with a chuckle, until a heavy slap to the back of head from Nautilus sent him stumbling forward, the collected Champions smirking at him from the darkness.

The final portrait filled up to reveal the small scrap of red fur Tahm had met before, Gnar hopped up from his place between a bestial-looking woman armed with a Javelin and a feral Lion hybrid, wielding a huge dagger and a scar across one blue eye.

"Missing Link." The feline humanoid called for him in a deep growl as he left. Gnar turned, looking at Rengar with a cocked head. "Hunt well. And see if you can introduce me to your fishy friend afterwards." He chuckled to himself.

Gnar nodded and hopped up to the platform, crawling up Lulu's staff and perching himself on her hat, causing her to squeal and giggle as she pushed him off. All the muttering in the room stopped as the Summoner raised his voice again, indicating the crystal above their heads. "You shall now be summoned to the Rift. We shall assemble the other team after you're through." He stepped back and seemed to fade with the wall behind him, as the crystal above them hummed to life, Tahm began to feel a bit nervous, and evident by the way he was once again fiddling with his hat.

A warm touch from Lulu made him jump slightly. "Don't worry Tom, you'll do great. Oh, also… "

A flash of light, and rushing sensation, and then he was face down, feeling ready to vomit up every bargain he'd made in the last 200 years.

"Yeah… it takes some getting used to." Lulu giggled to herself, attempting to pull him up and falling back doing so.

Tahm wearily got to his feet to see a stone base laid out before him, various structures hewn from stone and crystals interspaced along the empty space. On the borders, tower-like structures stood like sentinels guarding the entrances. The sky was dark, while it seemed to be night, various purple arcs of electricity covered the sky like a veil, seemingly a protective shield protecting the arena from outside influence.

A Yordle shopkeeper jumped as he saw the newcomer, and his voice roused Tahm from his shopkeeper. "Oh! A newcomer already?" He said, peering down at a list underneath him. "Oh dear where did I put that quill...uh, what was your name again?"

"Call me Tahm. King of the River and King of the Rift. "He grinned wide to himself, inspecting the forest around him and smelling the damp river beyond. A fitting place for a meal, indeed.

Phew! I had quite a few block issues with writing out this chapter, and I'm glad I finished it. I've just started a school project so I don't know when the next chapter will be done, but hopefully I can get something out soon. Onto reader reviews!

Croziff: I am back, and thanks for the suggestion, I have already decided on the enemy team and Jinx will be on it, although I don't want to reveal too much of the enemy team since I'm a filthy attention whore. Thanks for reading!

AmoHugz: Indeed, Long live this story, though I dunno how many of you guys still active readers due to the haitus. Sorry again about that.

Creaturemaster: Hey man, thanks for the PM's you've been sending me, first reader interaction, if you guys have anything you wanna suggest/say feel free to do the same! I took some of the ideas you suggested, and I appreciate any and all you guys have.

Rinark, Tahm does indeed have some good taunts, though I feel like he wouldn't know much about the champions lore-wise, and need to learn about them in some matches before he can pull out some sick burns.

Just a Number: I also took one of your ideas on board, thanks to everyone suggesting stuff, I hope you enjoyed what I wrote here ^^

Guest 1: Thanks for the compliment, but I want it to be in my story that characters are released in order and in-real time, so Jhin wouldn't be in the league for a while after Tahm has been in. I want every new champ to have a tangible impact on the story, with Tahm's being the first.

Thanks to my Beta Reader, Xelhashy, and the rest of you for reading! Please tell me your thoughts and enjoy!

-Kawaiipyro


	10. Chapter 10 - Strange New Flavours

Tahm's musings were cut short by a whoosh behind him and Lulu as their three teammates materialized into being in a beacon of blue energy. The glowing stones beneath them shuddered as the Titan of the Depths took one large step forward, then another. As he was about to leave the summoning platform, his eyes slowly turned to focus on Tahm. They burned like lighthouses within the thick casing of his helmet, and he grumbled lowly as if he wanted to talk before turning and trudging away into the forest surrounding their stony haven. All that was left behind him was the soft scent of seawater and decay, a darkness undetectable to most. Tahm grinned his macabre toothy grin as his glands absorbed it.. He'd had to remind himself to crack open that tin can and feast on what remained inside when he got around to it.

For the second time, his inner monologue was cut short, but by the overpowering aroma of cheap cologne and unbearable narcissism. Draven stepped up behind Tahm leaning on the River Demon nonchalantly as he swept the landscape with one manicured hand.

"Oh, I'll be honored to make your first trip on this rift a pleasant one, small fry. I mean, how can you NOT have a fun time when you're laning with Draven." He grinned to himself, hardly batting an eye to the River King, Lulu who seemed to be hiding under her hat to avoid being noticed, or Gnar who was currently tapping the shopkeep's counter with his boomerang and pointing at a strange blue liquid in a vial.

"Now now, little one. Those are just for show these days. Besides, What use do you have for them? They're for mages." He eyed Gnar before chuckling and sending him on his way with a small blade and a handful of glowing red vials.

Tahm's attention turned from the debate to Draven, who seemed to have finally spotted his teammates, and he turned with a cocky grin towards Lulu. He walked towards her, leaning on his axe as he regarded her.

"Why, just ask shortstack here. She's had the pleasure of laning with me before, haven't you?" He inquired. When the only response was Pix angrily flittering up to him and throwing a handful of glitter in his face, his coughed and batted the Fae away.

"Argh, you and your damn butterfly don't know what you're missing out on. Supports DREAM of the day when they get to support DRA-" His yell was cut off by a swift, high-pitched yelp as his axe was pulled out from under him, collapsing to the ground as Tahm walked away hefting it with his tongue. He tossed it behind him nonchalantly, slicing through Draven's left whisker and shuddering as it embedded itself between the stones of the platform.

"Honored to make your acquaintance, my dear man. Now, I believe we have a job to do?" Tahm drawled as he walked with Lulu towards the bottomost lane, a long drawl out cackle echoing after him. Lulu giggled along with him, lifting her hat up to regard him.

"Wowie Tahm, you're the first one I've seen besides Pix that'll stand up to him! Oh I need to try that one when I lane with him next.. think I could do the same trick?" She flexed her thin purple arms at him before a loud voice echoing from the sky above and shield itself seemed to resonate around the arena. Lulu jumped in shock, her hat landing to the dirt with a flump.

"Minions have spawned!"

Female. The same voice that had greeted him at the entrance. Maybe it was the same woman or they all used a filtering spell to hide their voices? Whatever it was, Tahm had little time to muse as a row of small robed figures pushed past them, waving miniscule weapons and ignoring their wards altogether. Tahm regarded them with a confused look, before turning to see Lulu getting up swiftly.

"Agh, that always get me..OH! i've gotta go! Have fun with...Draven.." She shot him and apologetic glance before she hopped atop her staff and jetted off into the forest spanning the northern part of the path. Tahm watched her leave before shrugging, following his ...minions? as he regarded the items his summoner had recommended to him. A small handheld buckler pulsing with strange energy he couldn't trace but still felt oddly familiar, a red vial of healing potion and a glowing pink eyestone. He felt a mental tug leading him towards a patch of tall grass to the north of his tower, and as he held it out it shot from his hand and spawned a podium for itself, lighting up the entire area around it as the pink eye flared into life above.

"That's a ward, Tahm. We use them to track the enemy team's movements and plan accordingly." A voice echoed inside his head. Having read up on these communication beforehand, he wasn't shocked, merely curious. He didn't seem to be able to respond as of yet so he followed his summoner's guidance back to the lane just as Draven grumbled his way into lane and their lane opponents faced them over the brawl of tiny minins in the center of the lane.

A thick mustachioed man came forward first, the girth of both his chest and facial hair dwarfing the weedy man next to Tahm. He regarded the two with a smile, before turning to the smaller woman next to him. As she came into focus, Tahm growled lightly to himself, a sinister smile coming to him as he saw the same criminal that had greeted him before with Lulu. Hex? Curse? Whatever it was, she didn't look all too pleased to see him either.

"Aw hell no! I'm not getting tongue-touched by fish boy!" She drew her zap pistol and aimed it towards him, which let out a sharp whine and jolt of feedback as it lanced electricity at blinding speed towards them. A minion caught the blast and was singed badly, falling over in a puff of ash before dematerializing. Draven etched an eyebrow, before walking forward with his axe spinning and seperating a minion in half cleanly. He caught it with a laugh and even Tahm had to commend the bravery to catch a spinning axe.

The thick man put one thick hand on Jinx's slender hands clutching her pistol. "Now now small woman, Summoners will stop match if you continue like this. " He smiled at her and put down his shield, which glowed softly with blue energy. Tahm recognized the magical aura of True ice and knew whatever that man was appearing to be, he was much stronger and older then he let on. The man turned to gaze to Tahm, and raised his hand with a laugh. A similar buckler to his own was strapped to his arm.

"Greetings friend! I am Braum! I am sorry, but we will have to make with the winnings of this game. I'm sure you'll give it your best though?" he gave a genuine smile before bringing a shuddering blow down on the nearest minion, the buckler absorbing the energy of the minion and launching it towards Jinx, revitalizing her. She continued gunning down minions slowly, unfazed, and Tahm felt a similar energy overcoming him as she crushed these magical constructs. He lanced his tongue out, striking down a minion and reducing it to a cloud of green mist and coins that jetted towards Draven. Tahm felt the strange power of an ancient empire frun through him as he held the shield, and took a slow breath out. He had alot to learn about the world, even with his years of life.

His eyes swept upwards, past the fighting magical beings called minions, to his opponents being watched over by a strange stone tower with a glowing red gem to rival their own blue one, and to the dark and mysterious river flanked by a wide purpled-tinted sky. He was a new world in every sense of the word. And he'd feast here, just as he planned to feast outside, he grinned to himself. He didn't leave a meal half-done.

Holy shit, it's alive. IT'S ALIIIIVE!

Yeah, I'm not dead. Sorry I can't respond to every old review right now but THANK YOU all for reading, if you're new or returning. I can't begin to tell you how weird it is having people like my story here, so I thought I'd write out a quick chapter to see fi people are still interested. I have some ideas but I've had alot of family stuff/schoolwork over the past few months so this story been pretty low on my list.

Still, I'm not stopping with it. Please, leave any comments you want, criticism is encouraged as I know I have alot to improve on.

Thanks, Kawaiipyro~

BIG EDIT: Fixed a ton of typos, I'm stuck using wordpad and that lack of an autocorrect left alot of mistakes since it's late. Sorry!


	11. Chapter 11 - First Taste of the Action

As the lane continued on, Tahm sat in one of the nearby tall grass bushes and watched the events of the lane unfold, subconsciously mimicking the one called Braum, who seemed to be doing the same as him, waiting for the correct moment to strike. While he watched Braum seemed to enter a bush and instead of seeing the rustling of grass or hear the noise of shuffling, the bush remained undisturbed. This was surprising, and Tahm assumed it was due to some magic the institute had set up to allow guerrilla tactics. Whatever the purpose, his thought process was cut short by Draven suddenly throwing his act sideway, seemingly out of impatience, which sent it slicing through the minion wave and shoving Jinx to the side. Seeing his opportunity, Tahm stepped forward and launched his tongue out at a surprising velocity, where it struck the unfortunate criminal on the skinny forearm.

Tahm's eyes widened as time seemed to stand still. All at once, he had experiences a veritable rush of emotions and regrets, past and present of this individual, including a view over a cityscape that seemed oddly familiar. and then he realised. It was Piltover, with the same spindly towers and ramshackle roofs as the Piltovarian-Zaun section of the town outside these stone walls… and as she watched the vision, the feeling of boredom grew to excited as it showed a pale hand clutching a …clockwork monkey? It met his eye with its own glassy ones, and seemed to be playing a melody as it clashed its symbols. At once, the hand pressed a button in the back of it and the eyes lit up as the world outside exploded at once into a thousand fire clouds, the stench of chemical fire and smoke filling the air as Jinx's firebombs detonated the cityscape. A gleeful laugh ended the memory and just like that, he was back in the lane with Draven and… her.

Minion's attacks battered at his belly and shins as he waddled forward, eyes widening and teeth elongating as he sought his first meal in a week. He needed... NEEDED that taste! That feeling of boredom, solitude and the lack of empathy towards others... it was intoxicating.

What he didn't notice was the tall man from before jumping out from the brush nearby and landing with a thud, his shield's blue ram eyes flaring as he landed next to Jinx, a swirl of protective frost covering the two as he grabbed her arm and raised his shield to block the two incoming champions.

"Hah, you thought you were in trouble!" he yelled jovially as he punched the back of his shield, a swirl of true ice materializing and being shot out towards the hunger-riddled Tahm, who didn't notice until the ancient magic assaulted his senses. The ice shattered on his belly, and he felt the reverberations of the magic slowing his movement, and covering him in ice shards which cut his thick skin. He stopped and looked to Draven, who threw another axe at hair-splitting speed towards the two. It bounced harshly off Braum's shield with a screech of metal and a flash of sparks, and into the air, where Draven jumped to the side to catch it. This put his out of the cover of the minion wave, and he caught a zap blast in the chest from Jinx, who was peeking from behind Braum with a large excited grin. Draven stumbled backwards, his armour smoking. Tahm shook himself out of his reverie and waddled over to Draven, who was being battered with bullets from Jinx's lavishly pink minigun and seemed close to collapse.

Tahm groaned inwardly as he opened his jaw wide, swallowing up a screaming Draven and cringing at the taste of grease, sweat and narcissism. It was unbearable, and so Tahm ignored the two confused-looking lane opponents and waddled over to their tower, spitting out Draven with a groan, who bounced off the stone construct of the tower and landed in the dirt, his hair wet with Tahm's saliva and he forced himself to his feet.

"Eurgh. I didn't sign up for this! What was that for, fishstick?!" He fumed, turning and lancing Tahm in the sensitive chest with his finger. Tahm regarded him with a bored stare, and motioned with his wide head to the encroaching minion wave. Draven realised he'd been saved and groaned deeply, turning away and sheathing his axes and pointing to the sky half-heartedly. Tahm regarded him with a mix of amusement and bemusement until he saw blue magic fall down upon Draven until he teleported away.

He was left feeling ill under tower, and whipped a few minions down to low health before grasping one of the larger one with his tongue, launching it into its peers and making them all collapse before he felt the tickling in the back of his head from his summoner urging him to recall too. He met the eye of Jinx who was last hitting, and winked at her with his pus-yellow eye before the blue magic swallowed him up.

He'd had a taste of one of the champions of the league, and it was far from the last, he hoped. As he bought new items and felt their strength flowing through him, until a surge of the taste of Draven reach the back of his throat and he turned to vomit into a nearby bush. That was one meal he wasn't too eager to repeat.

Hey Guys, Kawaii here. I'm glad to see this fic still grabs attention, 200 pageviews on the first day it was uploaded, that was very surprising after so many months of updates. I wrote this chapter quickly while in university and was wondering, do you guys prefer these smaller bite-sized chapters or longer ones?

Also, some review responses (These are probably very late, bear with me):

Creaturemaster: Hail, indeed! I'm glad to see you are enjoying the story and want to see more ^^ I was looking to write some more fights and a big teamfight involing more champs, or a tower falling/dragon fight. How does that sound? I'm gld you like how I wrote Jinx, Draven and Braum and I actually forgot about Kalista a few chapters ago, damn xD Thanks for reminding me~

Mr E: I plan to! I'm not sure hwo often how I'll update but I don't want this story to die, and I'm with you on the sad fact that tahm doesn't get enough love. I literally listened to The River King and fell in love immediately.

Thanks for reading guys, and please leave a review if you still read or want to pitch on on those questions I asked! I appreciate every re view, big of small, just the acknowledgement is enough for me.

Peace~


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